Form eor concrete construction



1. H. CRESMER.

FORM FOR CONCRETE CONSTRUCTION.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 9, 191s.

3,323,920., Patented Nov. 25, 1919.

3 SHEETS-SHEET l.

l. H. CRESMER.

FORM FOR CONCRETE CONSHUCTION. APPLICATION m50 SEPT. 9. me.

Lgw. y Patented Nov. 25,1919.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

I. H. CRESMER.

FORNI FOR CONCRETE CONSTRUCTION. APPLICATION FILED S PT.9,1918.

,823,020. Patented Nov. 25, 1919.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

/ R39 l I i 28 L ,El

2f a' 21,4 E

l/'fL 2,/ IMQ/Ivn /J/ULE @reame/23 vJOHN I-LCRESMEB., OF RIVERSIDE, CALIFORNIA, I

rFORM FOR CONCRETE CONSTRUCTION.

assenso.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 25, 1919.

Application filed September 9, 1918. Serial No. 253,258.

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that l, JOHN H. CREsMER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Riverside, in the county of Riverside and State of California, have invented new and useful Forms for Concrete Construction, of which the following is specification.

This invention pertains to forms for casting cement or concrete walls n Situ and an object of the invention is to effect the construction of cement or concrete walls as expeditiously and inexpensively as possible. I

Another object is to make provision for readily casting or pouring a hollow or chambered wall.

Another object is to produce a contractive inside form for walls and one that can be readily raised into a new position after a section of the wall has been poured so that another section lcan be pouredv to increase Y the height of the wall being made.

Another object is to produce an inside form that can be expanded and contracted uniformly from end to end lso-that it can be readily freed from the walls of the hole when it is desired to remove the inner form from the partly set section of the wall.

Another object. is to so construct a cham bored wall that the chambers thereof will hold water so that the wall can be properly cured.

Other objects and advantages will appear in the subjoined detailed description.

IThe accompanying drawings illustrate the invention.

Figure 1 is a side-elevation of a construction embodying the invention, a portion of a wall being shown already'cast and some of the outer form plates being omitted and others partly broken away and some of the wall being shown in vertical mid section for clearness of illustration. One ofthe innerV forms is shown partly in section.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged plan view from line v2-.m2, Fig. l, the inner form operating rod beingshown in section on said line;

Fig. 3, is a plan ,section on lineindicated by m3a3, Fig. 1. j

Fig. 4 is a plan section analogous to Fig. 3 excepting that the inner form is contracted ready yfor withdrawing it from the chamber which it has formed in the wall.

Fig. 5 is a vertical-mid section on line indicated by :v5-m5, Fig. 2.

Y Fig. 6-is a perspective view of one of the inner forins.-y

Fig. 7 is a perspective view of the cap of the inner form and its supporting plate.

Fig. 8 is an inverted plan view of the parts shown in Fig. 7.

Fig. 9 is a plan view of the outer form frame.

There are provided standards 1 arranged at the four corners of the wall which is to be constructed, and fastened to the standards 1 by any suitable means'are horizontal members 2. The standards 1 and members 2 constitute the frame of the outerform. The horizontal members 2 are adapted to hold rectangular outer form plates 3 and for this purpose the upper faces of the horizontal members are provided with longitudinally extending grooves 4 adapted to be engaged by endwise-shiftable latches 5 having-slots 6 to accommodate vscrews 7 which extend into the plates to retain the latches and allow the latches to be raised and lowered so that they can be withdrawn from the grooves 4 and forced `into engagement with said grooves. rlChe grooves 4 and latches 5 prevent the lower ends of the plates 3 from shifting in and out. Also the lower faces of the horizontal members 2 arey provided with longitudinally extending grooves 8 to receive the upper ends of the plates 3, said grooves preferably having their inner faces beveled inward and downward so as to facilitate removal of the plates when the latches 5 are raised and the lower ends of the plates are swung outward. The upper edges of the plates 3 are beveled inward and downward to suit the bevel of the grooves S.

The horizontal members 2 are preferably held toward one another by ties 9 in the form of wires or rods, the end portions ofthe wires 9 passing through horizontal perforations 10 in the horizontal members. TheY ends of the wires 9 project beyond the outer faces of the horizontal members and pass through perforations 11 in washers 12. The ends of the wires'9 are bent over to form hooks 13 which engage perforations 14 in the washers 12. vWedges 14 are inserted between the washers 12 on oneside of the i form and the outer-faces of the adjacent members 2 so as to draw the wires 9 taut. The wires 9 are arranged at suitable intervals along the horizontal members 2 and sufhcient of said wires willl be provided to prevent spreading apart of the horizontal members at any point. Thus it is clear that the wires 9 andy washers 12 prevent movewill now ment away from one another of the rhorizontal frame members and that said members prevent spreading' of the plates 3. The horizontal members arearranged in superposed pairs and maj7 be all constructed alike, though it is obvious that the grooves 4 in the uppermost members are not required and that the grooves 8 in the lowermost members are not'used. In practice the lowermost members 2 may be-placed directly on Vthe footing or foundation, not shown, on which the wall is to be constructed.

The horizontal members 2 are adapted to form sup sorts for the inner forms which e described. Resting on the uppermosty pair of horizontal` members 2 are plates 15 which are providedY witli'two or more vertical perforations 16 in which may be` selectivelyplaced pins 17 that may have their upper yends bent over to form heads 18. The pins 17 also project into vertical perforations 19 in the horizontal members 2, thus to hold the plates 15 in fixed position relative vto the horizontal members. Besides this, it is clear that the plates 15 also function to prevent movementl towardV one another of the horizontal members 2 as well as movement thereof away from one another. By reason of the plurality of holes 1 6, it is obvious that different thicknessesy of wall may be provided for since positioning the pins in dilierent holes will space the opposite horizontal members 2 and plates 3 closer together or farther apart.

The plates 15 are provided with vorifices 20 through which are adapted to extend upright sectional stems each formed of a pair of wedge members 21, 22, the outer faces of the wedge members being substantially parallel with one another and the inner faces being` complementarily beveled as indicated at 23. When the wedge members 21, 22 are somewhat offset from one another, 'as clearly shown in Fig. 3, each pair exactly fits the orifice 20, since the orifices include laterally projecting recesses 24 into which the projecting edges of the wedge members 21, 22y extend. Owing to the orifices 20 accuratelj7 fitting the wedgeV members 21, 22, when the wedge members are odset from one another, it is clear that the plates 15 serve to lock the'wedge members in their offset positions. V7 hen the wedge members 21, 22 are offset from one another, 4that is when they are slid. upon one another at their faces 23, the wedge members 21, 22 are in their formexpanding positions, and in such positions the outer oppositely arranged faces of the wedge members Aare vfarther 'apart than wheny the wedge members are moved into registration with one another, as in Fig. 4, this latter position being the form-contracting position Aof the wedges.

, Suitable means are provided to 'move the wedge members 21, .22.into form-expanding and form-contracting positions and for this purpose the wedge members are provided in their opposed faces with longitudinal grooves 24 vadapted to receive operating rods 25, there being one rod for each pair of wedge members 21, 22. VThe rods 25 are suiiiciently wide so that when they are turned about their longitudinal axes they exert leverage on the wedge members 21, 22 to slide said wedge members into expanded or contracted positions according as the rods 25 areV turned clockwise or counter-clockwise in Figs. 2, 3 and 4. Preferably the upper ends of the rods 25, for convenience in operating them, are bent at right angles to form horizontally extending handles 26 so'Y whereby greater leverage may be applied Y by the operator to turn the nrods 25.

As stated above the plates 15Ylock the up per portionsof the wedge members 21, 22'in their expanded Ypositions and'meansy are also provided to lock the lower portions of they wedge members 21, 22 in expanded positions and these means will now .be described. Suitably fastened to eachof the wedge members 21 is an ear 27-which'extends past the joint lbetween the wedge members. When the wedge members 21, 22 are in their ex l panded positions theear 27'is y.spaced from'V the adjacent Aface of the wedge member 22 so as to accommodate a locking wedge 28 which is operated by a rod 29 passing through cleats 30 at intervals along the wedge member 22. The operating rods 29 extend upwardly .suiiiciently far so that they can.

readily be reached b v the operator for operation thereof when the platesv 15v have been removed. To move the wedges 28 into locking position the operator will force the rods 29 downward. A reverse movement will red` tract the wedges 28 from loc-king position so that when the rod 25 is turned in the appropriate direction the lower ends of the wedge members 21, 22 will respgnd to the leverage Vexerted against them and. be moved Vinto form-contracting positions. Y

In order that the wedgelmembers 21, 22 may be suitably supported or suspended from the plates 15, said wedge members are provided adjacent the plates 15 with notches 31 1n which may be removably seated latches formed by arms 32 pivoted at 33 on theupperjfaces of the plates'l adjacent the Y`oriof each of the wedge members 21 byA screws- 34,35,7or their equivalents, is a U-shaped form member 36, and fastened along one lon'- gitudinal margin of the wedge member' 22A by screws 37, 38, or their equivalents, isf-a U-shaped form member 39. YThe form members 36,39 project on opposite sides of the wedge members 21, 22 and the other longitudinal margins of said form lmembers are provided with slots 40 through which the screws 35, 38 project, the heads of the screws 35, 38 holding the adjacent portions of the 'form members 39, 36 lagainst movement of said form members away from the wedge members while permitting such movement as will allow expansion Vand `contraction of said form members when the wedge members 21, 22 are shifted in the appropriate direc-V tion to produce such expansion and contraction as above explained. When the wedge members 21, 22 are moved into their expandred position, as in E ig. 3, the form members 36, 39, as is readily understood, will be moved endwise from one another and will be expanded sidewise also. When the wedge members 21, 22 are moved into their contracted positions shown in'Fig. 4 the form `members 36, 39 will be moved endwise toward one another and will be contracted sidewise also These form members 36, 39 are made of sheet metalof sufficiently light gage so that the expanding yand contracting movement can be given them by turning of the rods 24, and the gage is suliiciently heavy so as to withstand the pressure of cement or concrete thereagainst while the wall is being poured.

In order that the successively poured sections of the wall may be joined together by waterproof joints, the under faces of` the plates 15 are each provided with a groove-forming member 41 which may be half round in cross section and fastened by nails 42, or their equivalents, to the plates 15. r1`hese groove-forming members 41 ex-..

tend beyond the longitudinal edges of the plates 15, and when the form members 36, 39 are in their expanded positions the groove-forming members 41 extend around the Lipper ends Vof said form members and yfilled with cement or concrete by pouring shown, previously prepared to receive the wall, then the corner standards 1 will be erected and a second pair or pairs of the horizontal members 2 will be fastened t0 the standards 1 and spaced sufficiently far from the lowermost horizontal members '2 so that the form plates 3 can be readily Vfitted into place. Form plates 3 to the requisite number will then be slipped into place and fastened by engaging the latches 5 with the grooves 4. v

Then the wedge members 21, 22 after being moved to form-expandmg positions as above described, with their' expanded form members 36, 39 together with the plates 15, which have been previously latched in place around the wedge members 21, 22, will be lowered into place so that the form members 36, 39 will occupy the middle portion of the space between the opposing form plates 3 and so that the plates 15 will rest on the uppermost horizontal members 2. Then the pins 17 will be inserted in the appropriate holes 16, 19.

rfhen the wires 9 will be threaded through the perforations 10 and secured to the washers 12 and the wedges 14 will be driven into place to draw the wires taut.V

r1`he cement or concrete for forming the wall willthen be poured around the form members 36, 39 so as to vll the space between said form members and the plates 3 and said concrete maybe tamped into place in the usual manner of manufacturing concrete walls. This completes the lowermost section of the wall and when this series of operations is finished a third pair of horizontal members 2 will be fastened to the standards 1 and the requisite number of plates 3 will'be placed in position between the second and third pairs of horizontal members preparatory to pouring the second section of the wall. By the time the form plates 3 of the second section of the wallV are in place theY concrete of the first section has set sufciently so that the inner forms are no longer required in the first section and they may be raised to position for pouring the second section of the wall. 1n order that the inner forms may be raised, the latches 32Vwill first be retracted from the notches 31 andthe plates 15 will be raised off of the upper ends ofthe wedge members 21, 22. Then the voperator will grasp the upper ends of the rods 29 and pull on the same to retract the wedges 28 from their locking positions. Then the handles 26 will be turned in the appropriate direction to .move the wedge members 21, 22 into their contracted positions so asV to contract the form members 36, 39 as hereinbefore explained. Contraction of` the form members 36, 39 moves themaway from the walls of the holes or chambers a which have been formed in the lower section of the zwall. The operator will theny raise the wedge members 21, 22 and with them the form members 36, 39 to position immediately above their former positions. All of these inner forms when raised will then be expanded and the plates applied in place .and seated on the third set of horizontal ymembers 2 the same as before described for the placing of the inner forms for forming the lower section of the wall. Then the second section of the wall will be poured the same as the first section and the concrete will enter the grooves l5 formed vby the groove-forming members 41 so `as to make a waterproof joint between the Vlowermost section and second section of the wall. Y

lli/hen the second section ofthe wall has been completed, the form plates 3 used in Vwill befilled with water so that the concrete will be properly cured throughout,

and this cany be readily accomplished be-V cause of the water-tight joints between the successively poured sections. When the wall is wetted externally only it is generally not properly cured in its vmiddle portions and therefore my construction insures against improper curing.V

From the foregoing description it is clear that aholl'owV walled structure of concrete `can belreadily built and that the inner forms for producing the chambers in the walls can be quickly expanded for the pouring operation and can then asquickly be contracted and withdrawn from the poured section and raised into new positions and expanded for a repetition of the pouring operation'.

It is understood that the invention is not limitedto the exact construction described above and .shown in the drawings but that whatever changes and modifications are implied in the appended claims are included asfbeing within the spirit and scope of the claims.` f l I claim: c f

1. In combination, wedges having longitudinal grooves, U-shaped form ymembers each fastened at one longitudinalmargin'to one of the wedges and each shiftablyfastened at its other margin to the other wedge. 2. In combination, wedge members having j opposed inclinedefacea U-shaped form 111cmbers each fastened; at one longitudinal margin to the outer facerof one of-the wedge members Vand each member shiftablyfastened at its vother margin to the outerface of the other wedge member, and means to i move the wedge 'members' laterally `to .expand andA contr'actthe form members.y

8. In combination, wedge members having opposed inclined faces and having longitudinal grooves in their opposed faces, a 5j rod having its longitudinal edges inserted in the grooves so that turning of the rod kabout its longitudinal: axis will shiftY the wedge members, and Ueshaped form mem-V berseach fastened at one longitudinal mar.- gin to the outergface of one ,of the. wedge `members and each member Vshiftabl'yy/fas.-

tened at itsV other y'margin lto the outer face of the other wedge member.,

4. In combination,va plate having an oris g ,ice, wedge membersextending through the orifice and locked"A against relative lateral movement by the walls of the orificeform members secured tothe wedge members rei Y spectively so as to .be moved 'toward and from one another by relati'veilateral Vmovement of the wedge' members,.and means to producelrelative lateral movement of the wedge members. Y l A 5. In combination, a5 plate having an rori.- a;

ce, wedge Vmembers extending throughgthe orice and locked against relative lateral movement by the walls of the orifice, Yform members secured to the wedge members'frespectively so as to be moved towardand ag, Y

from one another by relativeflateral movement of the 'wedge members, means to pro-v duce relative lateral movement of vthe wedge members, and means nearl'one end ofthe wedge members to hold said members in expanded positions againstthe action of the last named means. f

6. In combination, a plate having an ori,- fice, wedge members extending throughthe orifice, form members secured to the mein.-

bers respectivel-yfso as to bemoved toward" and from one anotherl by Vrelative lateral movement of the wedgemembersmeans to produce relative lateral movement fofthe iiol wedge members, an ear fastened to Vone wedge member and extending past the joint between the wedge members, a wedge adapted to be insertedbetwecnrthe 'earfand Y 

